Castle in 10
by whatarushh
Summary: my contribution to the 10 songfic challenge. greatly delayed, but with good reason!


A/N: wanna hear a fun story? my hard drive crashed about 2 weeks ago. so i lost everything i had on it, including the sequel to One Step Closer i'd just finished (which i rewrote, btw! coming soon!) and my 10 little songfics. booooooo. but hey, it gave me an excuse to do it again! it was fun =]. but i have to confess: i cheated. with the songs i was getting, i could've easily written them all about how much Castle & Beckett mean to each other, that they've never loved anyone the way they love each other, blah blah blah. but i was sick of being cliche ... so i shuffled until i found songs that sparked an something different and interesting. but i gotta say, the first one's my favorite :D. it was actually one that i lost, but i liked it so much that i remembered it and rewrote it. that's all the cheating i did, though; the ones towards the end are pretty long, but i promise, the songs are long too! geez, am i long-winded enough? sorry, lol. enjoy!

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**The Hustle by Van McCoy**

"The Hustle? Ick," Kate Beckett said, reaching over and changing the radio station.

Rick Castle's eyes remained on his notepad. "What, you haven't heard? Apparently the 70's are back."

"Oh, great," Kate said sarcastically, "Break out the bell-bottoms!"

At this, Rick looked up. "You have bell-bottoms?!"

Kate took her eyes off the road for a moment to glare at him. "No, I don't. It's called sarcasm, Mr. I'm-A-Best-Selling-Author-And-Should-Be-Well-Versed-In-Literary-Techniques."

Rick rolled his eyes bemusedly. "That's your story, and you're sticking to it." He turned his attention back to his notepad.

"Why, Castle? Didn't you rock platform shoes back in the day?"

She got no answer.

She smiled to herself. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

**You, You, You by Julianne Hough**

Kate Beckett didn't remember the first gift Will Sorenson gave her. She didn't remember where they'd gone on their first date. She didn't remember the date of their anniversary. She didn't remember where they were the first time he'd said "I love you."

But she remembered the shirt she was wearing when she questioned Rick Castle for the first time. She remembered the 5 o'clock shadow on his face. She remembered the devious look in his eyes, and the curve of his hair as it fell over his forehead. She remembered feeling that he'd be an adventure, a feeling she'd gotten with few people before in her life. She remembered looking into his eyes for the first time and deciding to completely forget about Will.

**Treading Mud by Aaron Tessis**

Kate Beckett groaned. Trying to solve a case in which the victim had been dead and frozen for five years, and her husband/the prime suspect had been murdered a year ago, was like slogging through mud. And not the dirty-puddle kind of mud, either. No, this was like an empty field after a week or two of rain. The kind of mud that sucks your shoes into the ground, gets inside your socks and stays there by way of stain for a very, very long time.

She'd been at the murder board for several hours after everyone else had left, pacing. Just pacing. Thinking too, of course, but seeing how productive she was being, she might as well have just been walking around in circles. She finally acknowledged to herself that she needed help, and bit her lip. She knew exactly the person who would be of most use. But no. She couldn't. She wouldn't. Absolutely not.

Five minutes later, Kate was ringing Rick Castle's doorbell.

**Don't You Want Me Baby by Human League**

"That means you owe me."

"Owe you what?!"

"Anything I want. And you know exactly what I want, don't you? You know what I really, really want you to do…"

As he leaned in to whisper in Kate Beckett's ear, Rick Castle saw her go still, felt her eyes on him, heard her hold her breath. He had to hold in a grin. Oh yes. She wanted him.

"Never, _ever,_ call me kitten."

And with that, he walked away.

Kate let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding and grinned, rolling her eyes in amusement. Damn. He was good.

**When You've Got It, Flaunt It by Cady Huffman, Matthew Broderick & Nathan Lane ("The Producers" Soundtrack)**

Kate Beckett knew she was attractive. She'd had her fair share of boyfriends, as well as a laundry list of skeeves who undressed her with their eyes when she walked the streets; she was no idiot. She started dressing down as she worked her way up the ranks at the precinct, but in the back of her mind, she knew the ability to "work it" was still there. Somewhere.

So, when Rick Castle happened across her path, she knew the time was right to flaunt it. Hell, she was going to blow him away.

And when she saw his eyes on her bright pink dress, she knew she'd won.

Oh yes. She still had it.

**Chip On My Shoulder by Christian Borle, Laura Bell Bundy & Company ("Legally Blonde the Musical" Soundtrack)**

"You're an odd one, Castle," Kate Beckett remarked. They were sitting on his couch, and she was eyeing some of his more peculiar possessions.

"Hey, I'm a product of my childhood."

She looked at him. "Yeah? How so?"

He paused. "It was unconventional. Unconventional childhood equals unconventional adulthood, no?"

"Mmm, I guess so."

Rick noticed that she looked like she wanted to ask something. "Something on your mind?"

Kate turned to him. "What was it like growing up without your dad?" He looked taken aback; she suddenly felt bad. "Sorry for being callous. I'm just curious what it's like for a boy not to have a male influence in his life."

He shook his head. "No, I had male influences. My mother's boyfriends and husbands count, right?"

She was confused. "You looked up to them? I thought you resented them."

He laughed. "Hell no, I didn't look up to them! But I owe them a lot." Kate shot him a quizzical look. "They showed me all the ways a man can fail. They were dumb, rude … just overall losers. So, thanks to them, from a young age I had a very clear idea of what I absolutely did _not_ want to become."

Kate was impressed. "That's an interesting way of looking at it."

Rick shrugged. "Gotta make the best of what you've got. I'm sure you of all people know what I mean."

She smiled. "In a slightly different way, but yeah. I know what you mean."

**Kidnap an Angel by Bon Jovi**

Kate Beckett put her face in her hands. He'd done it now. He'd really freaking done it.

Rick Castle had gotten himself shot.

She hadn't realized how much she needed him with her until he wasn't anymore. Nope, instead of haunting the chair next to her desk at the precinct, he was unconscious in a hospital bed after the nine hours of surgery needed to stitch his insides back together.

She hated him. She really, really did.

A doctor emerged from his room. Despite herself, Kate jumped up. "How is he?" she asked, cursing the fear she heard in her voice.

He smiled. "He's going to be pretty banged up for awhile, but he'll be okay. He's still out, but you can go in if you want."

Kate sighed. "Okay, thank you."

The doctor smiled at her and walked away. With a deep breath, she pushed open the door to Rick's room. He was hooked up to a bunch of machines, all beeping at different paces, and he was deathly pale. But Kate didn't care; he was alive.

She pulled a chair up to the side of his bed and sat down. "Ya know, Castle," she said to him, "You suck."

He didn't respond. She knew he wouldn't, but that didn't stop her heart from sinking.

"You have to get better," she stated matter-of-factly, tears beginning to prick her eyes. "You just have to."

**Proud by Heather Small**

Kate Beckett walked through the small cemetery, following the same familiar path to her mother's grave. As she approached it, she felt the same wave of sadness overcome her. She knew it would always come; visiting her mother's grave would never become old hat.

She sat down, facing the headstone. Several moments passed in silence.

"Hi mom," she said finally. She swallowed a lump in her throat. "I miss you." She looked down and fiddled with the grass. "I always will." She looked back up, at the name 'Johanna Beckett' carved into the stone. "But I need to accept that you're gone." She took a deep breath and blinked back tears. "I've worked hard for you, mom. I hope you're proud of me."

A gust of wind arose, blowing Kate's hair askew. She took the opportunity to wipe her eyes, and saw a small white flower floating gently to the ground in front of her. She reached out and caught it, not bothering to try and stop the tears that came now.

"Thanks, mom. I love you too."

**I Got the Girl by Bon Jovi**

Rick Castle knew that there was something between Kate Beckett and himself. She wasn't willing to admit it, but it was there. It was undeniable. She was slowly opening up to him, and allowing him to share his world with her. He couldn't have been happier.

That is, until Will Sorenson entered the picture.

Rick began doubting everything he and Kate had together. She seemed happy with Will, as much as he hated to admit it. Despite the dire situation of the case at hand, she was willing to smile when he was around. And then Rick walked in on the two of them kissing. He thought then that he'd lost. That Kate Beckett would forever be "the one that got away."

That is, until he saw them speaking at her desk. She'd nodded slightly without looking at him, and he'd walked away, brushing her shoulder with his hand. She still didn't look up at him.

Rick closed his eyes and smiled. _Yes_, he thought. _I've still got her._

**When I See You Smile by Bad English**

Rick Castle held out his arms. The doctor handed him the squirming, pink bundle. "Congratulations," she said with a smile.

Rick looked down at his daughter for the first time. She had her nose wrinkled and looked to be about to start screaming. Not knowing exactly what he was doing, Rick made a funny face. She looked at him strangely. He took this as a good sign; she no longer looked angry. He placed a kiss on her forehead and made some cooing noises. When he looked at her again, she was smiling that adorable, toothless, baby smile. He felt changed forever. He thought that no other smile would ever mean as much to him as that one, and none ever even came close.

Until it was Kate Beckett grinning at him from behind a case file. She had eventually forgiven him for digging into her mother's case, and let him back into her life. The most recent case they were working on was pretty upsetting, and Rick had made a joke to lighten the mood and make her laugh. It did just that. Watching the smile spread across her face and joy light up her eyes, Rick came to a conclusion; he would never risk this again. Ever.

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A/N: hmm, if i bribe you with the promise of the sequel to One Step Closer sooner if i get reviews, will you do it? lol. :D


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